Scalable Internet Directory Lays Foundation for Electronic Commerce
PROVO, Utah March 8, 1999 Further extending its directory reach to the
Internet, Novell®, Inc. today announced the open-beta testing phase of its next-generation scalable
Internet directory Novell Directory Services® (NDS) version 8 (v. 8). NDS v. 8
eliminates the need for special-purpose Internet directories by achieving unprecedented levels of scalable
performance, reliability and security. Available for the majority of enterprise network platforms, NDS
now allows companies to grow their businesses without interruption and build the necessary
infrastructure required for highly centralized directory applications, such as those required for electronic
commerce.
Eighty percent of Fortune 1000 companies currently using directory services to manage and secure their
networks already rely on NDS, according to a recent report by International Data Corporation (IDC).
Analysts expect that in 2000, revenue for directory services products will reach $5 billion five times
the amount of directory services revenue for 1998. Further indication of growing NDS adoption is
evidenced by the more than 400 NDS-enabled products that are currently available from third-party
vendors. As such, with NDS v. 8, Novell is poised to capture a greater share of the exploding directory
market through Internet-focused customers, such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and companies
implementing electronic commerce, extranets and distributed applications.
"NDS can now manage more than five times the number of users on the Internet today, making it an
invaluable tool in helping our customers expand their business opportunities with the growth of the
Internet," said Chris Stone, senior vice president for strategy and corporate development for Novell.
"More importantly, by enabling businesses to maintain and leverage personalized information about their
customers, NDS will provide the foundation for Internet commerce based on a user's identity."
Internal tests show NDS v. 8 has the ability to store and manage millions more users, applications,
network devices and data than competing directories and earlier versions of NDS. Providing improved
scalable performance insures an organization's ability to grow the network with millions of additional
network objects and perform search queries with consistent speed, despite the network growth rate. With
NDS v. 8, organizations can be confident the infrastructure will support growth with consistent
performance.
NDS v. 8 integrates more Internet standards and applications than any of its competitors, allowing NDS
to easily interoperate with an organization's existing technology investments. NDS v. 8 natively supports
the directory standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3, allowing
interoperability with other LDAP-based directories and applications. By integrating the most advanced
Internet standard protocol, NDS v. 8 is in a position to maintain Novell's directory leadership.
"It's no surprise Novell is introducing a highly scalable Internet directory, given their expertise and focus
on directory services," said Tim Sloane, senior analyst for the Aberdeen Group. "NDS v. 8 will give
organizations the foundation to bring all their customers and supply-chain partners online and ramp up
their e-commerce implementations."
The Scalable Internet Directory
- One Directory Manages Both Internet and Enterprise Applications The
scalable performance and proven replication capabilities of NDS v. 8 make it the only appropriate
directory service for centralized, Internet and highly distributed enterprise applications.
- Growth Without Disruption With the ability to support millions of network
objects on one server, NDS v. 8 will tie together multiple platforms, applications and devices without
disruption, allowing organizations to benefit from their existing software investments.
- Internet-Ready Security Services The standards-based infrastructure of NDS
v. 8 gives administrators easy, flexible control over an organization's security policies. Providing the best
choice for evolving and varied security needs, NDS v. 8 offers flexible user authentication support with
encrypted passwords and smart cards.
- Opening New Internet Markets NDS v. 8 will continue to attract ISPs
looking to manage customers' Internet access and billing through a single directory. NDS v. 8 will enable
organizations to build a directory infrastructure to pursue electronic commerce without the issues of
scalable performance presented by other directories on the market.
Pricing and Availability
A license to use an open beta version of NDS v. 8 is available today free of charge. Existing NetWare 5
customers may download NDS v. 8 from Novell's Web site at http://support.novell.com/beta/public. For additional
information about NDS and NDS-enabled applications from Novell, please visit Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com/products.
The directory experts in Novell Consulting are available to help customers plan, implement and maintain
mission-critical enterprise networks. For more information, please visit the Novell Consulting Web site at
http://consulting.novell.com.
About Novell
Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVL) is the world's leading provider of directory-enabled networking software.
Novell solutions give businesses total control of their private networks and the Internet, simplifying the
management of user access and identity. Novell's worldwide channel, consulting, developer, education
and technical support programs are the most extensive in the network computing industry.
For information on Novell's complete range of products and services, contact Novell's Customer
Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272), or visit Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com. Press may access Novell announcements
and company information on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com/pressroom.
Novell and Novell Directory Services are registered trademarks and NDS is a trademark of Novell, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holder.
Press Contact:
Carrie Merritt
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
Phone: (650) 858-3788
Internet: cmerritt@ccipr.com